Electrically-operated releasing and setting mechanism for target traps



June 1l, 1929. H. w. sTEMPEL ELECTRICALLY OPERATED RELEASING AND SETTING MECHANISM FOR TARGET TRAPS Filed Nov. l, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet INVIIJVTOR Mw; *LM

en* M) ATTORNEY June 11, 1929. H w STEMPEL `1,716,935

ELECTRICALLY OPER'ATED RELEASING AND SETT`ING MECHANISH FOR TARGET TRAPS Filned Nov, 1l 192e ZVSheets-Sheet 2 A frog/v5 Y Patented June 11, 1929.

UNITED STATES HARRY W. STEMPEL, oF DAYTON, oHIo.

ELECTRICALLY-OPERATED RELEASING AND SETTING MECHANISM FOR TARGET TRAPS.

Application filed November 1, 1928.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in electrically operated releasing and setting mechanism for target traps.

It is the principal object of this invention to provide a simple and efficient electrically operated mechanism for reciprocating the pull rod of any target trap of the type which employs a pull rod and hand operated pull lever means for releasing and setting it. Such mechanism eliminates the necessity of employing a person' to operate the pull lever.

Other important and incidental objects will be brought out in the following specification and particularly set forth in the subjoined claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of my device. Figure 2 is a top plan view thereof. Figures 3 and 4 are sectional views talen on the lines 3-3 and 4-4 respectively in Figure 2. Figure 5 is a partial side view showing the top portion of the pull lever in its normal position. And Figure 6 is a wiring diagram of the motor and magnet circuits.

Referring to the accompanying drawings for a detailed description of my invention, the numeral 1 designates a frame having legs 2 for supporting the mechanism. The frame is set with its sides on a line parallel with the pull rod of a target trap.

A lover 3 is pivotally connected at its central portion to the frame 1 by a pin 4 and also pivotally connected at its lower end to a. pull rod 5. The top portion of this lever is .ncd with a longitudinal slot G for making a slidable connection with a pin 7 on the face of a disc 8 near its periphery. The latter is securely mounted on the end of a shaft 9 which is carried by bearings 10 and 11 on the top portion of the frame 1. (See Figures 1 and 2.)` Collars 12 and 13 prevent any side movement of the said shaft.

The gear 16 carries a. plurality of dogs 17 preferably four or more, pivotally connected. near its periphery, to its side adjacent the cam 14. (See Figures 3 and 4.) Each dog is notched on its inner side near its free end for engaging the nose of the cam 14 as it is drawn around its outer edge. An endless coil spring 13 fits in a groove in the outer edge of each dog for the purpose of holding it in close contact with the outer surface of the cam.

In order to preventthe dogs 17 from engaging the nose 15 of the cam 14 as they are Serial No. 316,485.

drawn around the latter, I provide a clearing means such as a boss 19 having a round upper surface for engagement with a pin 20 extending outwardly from the side of each dog near its free end. As the dogs move around the cam, they are thereby lifted over the nose 15 as the pin 20 engages with the said boss.

The cam 14 when not in mot-ion rests with its nose 15 directly above the shaft 9 and adjacent the bos's 19. The latter is held in this position by a lever arm 21 to which it is firmly secured. The lever arm 21 is pivotally connected to an ear 22 by a pin 23 on the front end of the frame 1. This lever extends horizontally over the shaft 9 and is parallel with the face of the cam 14. (See Figures 1 and The free end of the lever arm 21 rests in a notch in the side of a pawl 24. The latter is pivotally connected by a pin 25 to an ear 26 on the top of the frame 1. (See Figures 1 and 3.)

Located near the paWl 24 is an electromagnet 27 having one of its poles opposite the notched side of said pawl. This magnet is energized by a branch circuit 28 of the main electric circuit 29 Which supplies power to a motor 30. In this branch circuit 28, which includes the magnet 27, is a quick acting snap switch 31, preferably operable by thc pressure of the foot of the operator. Included in the main circuit is a control switch (See Figure 6.)

The motor 30 is mounted in the rear of the frame 1. On one end of its armature there is finedlv secured a pinion 34 whose teeth engage theteeth of a gear 35. The latter is carried on a shaft 36 supported by bearings 37 and 38. Collars 39 and 4() hold the shaft 36 in proper alinement. A pinion 41 is also mounted on this shaft 36 adjacent the gear for engagement with the gear 16. (See Figures 1 and 2.)

To prevent the cam 14 from moving forward while disengaged7 due to vibration or other causes, a pin 42 on said cani is located to engage a similar1 pin 43 on the lever arm 21 when the latter is in its normal position. They become disengaged to allow the said cam to revolve when the lever 2l drops.

To overcome any opposing force imparted by the target trap through the pull rod 5 to the lever 3 and associated members connected therewith, which would tend to move them in a reverse direction while at rest,

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a leaf spring 44 is secured at one end to a projection 45 on the front end of the frame 1, and having the other end curved downward to slidably engage the periphery of the disc 8. lVhen the disc 8 is in its normal position the curved end of the said springis received by a notch 46 in the said disc to prevent the latter from turningl backivardly.

The pull lever 3 is formed with a plurality of unevenly spaced holes 47 for receiving the pin 4 and a plurality of evenly spaced holes 48 for receiving the connecting pin ot the pull rod. These holes permit the pull lever 3 to be adjusted in the length of its swing to correspond to the length of the stroke of the pull rod of the various typ'es of target traps.

1n operation, the switch 3:2 remains closed so that a current flows eontinuusly through the circuit 29 to the motor 30. The latter drives the gear 35 and pinion 4l and through them the gear 16 at a uniform rate of speed during the entire time the device Vis being used.

l/Vhen it is desired to set the pull rod 5 in motion the switch is snapped, thus closing the circuit 28 and energizing the magnet 27 which will draw the pavvl 24 from the end of the lever arm 21. The latter With the boss 19 Will then drop and the shoulder of the cam 14 will be exposed for engagement with the first dog 17 succeeding the last one lifted by the boss 19. 7 hen this engagement is made the cam 14 and the disc 8 which are firmly secured on the shaft 9 Will revolve and impart the desired motion to the rod 5 through the pull lever 3.

Due to the quick operation ot the snap switch the pawl 24 is drawn from its normal position for only an instant, and is pulled back to the latter position by the contracting 'force of a coil spring 49. One end of the said spring is secured to the pawl 24 by a pin 50 and the other end which is formed ivith a hook is received by a hole in the flanged end 51 of an L shaped piece 52. The latter is secured to the frame l adjacent the rear of the electro-magnet 27. Y

The vlever arm 2l and its boss 19 are free to be raised by a pin 53 on one side of the cam 14. This pin will engage the bo-ttom side of said boss, which projects outwardly from the lever arm E21. This engagement occurs when the cani has completed approximately one-third of its revolution. lhen the lever arm 21 is raised by the pin 53 to its normal position, itsfree end will slip into thenoteh in the paivl 24 and remain there until the latter is again ino-ved by the force of the magnet. When again in its normalV position, the boss 19 will lift each dog 17 as its pin 2O travels over its curved surface.

As the dog 17 Which is in engagement with the nose 15 of the cam 14 reaches the boss 19, the pin on said dog Will travel over the boss to lift the nose of the dog clear of the cam shoulder', thereby permitting the cani and connecting members to come to rest after one complete revolution.

Vhen the pull vlever 3 is in its normal position, the pin 7 which slides in the slot (3 of the lever is in the third quadrant of the revolution of the disc 8, as shown in Figure 5. As the disc S is revolved, the pin 7 moving out of the third quadrant pulls the upper portion of the lever 3 toward the rear of the frame, which in'iparts a forward movement to the pull rod 5 suliicient to release the trap. Then, during the movement of the pin 7 through the fourth and first quadrants of revolution'of the disc 8, thelever 3 is moved forwardly, thereby pulling lthe rod 5 rear- 'aidly to set the trap.

During the time the device is being used the motor runs continuously. TWhen it is desired to shoot a target, the operator closes the snap switch 28 with his foot and the device immediately operates to release and set the target trap.

By changing the length of the pull rod 15 the device can be located at any convenient place in the rear of the trap. Y But, unlike a hand operated pull lever, it is not necessary that this device be placed on or near the tiring line. t

If desired, a foot switch can be provided for each person who is shooting When engaging in novelty shooting. Thus, When a person on the firing line is ready to shoot he can step on the switch rather than give the operator a signal to close the switch. This suggested arrangement of a plurality of foot switches of the type described wouldv obviate the necessity of having a person to operate a single switch.

do not desire to be limited to the details of construction and arrangement herein shown and described, and any changes or modifications may be made therein within the scope of the subjoined claims.

lflaving described my invention, l claim:

1. 1n a device of the type described, a frame, a target-trap releasingand setting lever pivotally connected to said frame, a shatt journaled in said frame, crank means secured to said shaft for oscillating said lever` a continuously rotating power-driven member idly mounted on said shaft, a disc cam fast on said shaft, dogs carried by said power-driven member for locking engagement with said cam to rotate it, means urging said dogs into locking engagement with the cam, means restraining a locking engagement of said dogs with the cam, and electrical means for withdrawing the restraining means from said dogs to permit a locking engagement of one of the latter with the cam.

2. In a device of the type described, a frame, a target-trap releasing and setting lever pivotally secured to said frame, a shaft journaled in the latter, means secured to said shaft for oscillating said lever, a continuously rotating power-driven member' idly mounted on said shaft, a cam fast on said shaft, a nose on the cam, dogs carried by said power-driven member for engagement with said nose to rotate the cam, a clearing member pivoted to the frame, a pawl for holding said member in the path of travel of said dogs, whereby they will pass over it vto clear the nose of the cam, and means for withdrawing the pawl from engagement with said clearing member to permit one of said dogs to engage the nose on the cam for the purpose specified.

In a device of the type described,a frame, a target-trap releasing and setting lever pivotally secured to the latter, a shaft journaled in said frame, a crank means securely mounted on said shaft for intermittently oscillating said lever, a continuously rotating powerdriven member idly mounted on said shaft, a cam fast on the shaft adjacent said driven member, a noseon said cam, a plurality of dogs carried by said driven member' for engagement with said nose to rotate the cam, a resilient means for holding each dog in engagement with said nose, a clearing member pivoted to said frame and over which said dogs travel to avoid engagement with said nose, a pawl for holding said clearing member in the path of travel of said dogs, resilient means for maintaining said pawl in engagement with said clearing member, and means for disengaging said pawl from said clearing member for permitting the latter to pass out of the path of travel of said dogs for the purpose specified.

el. In a device of the type described, a frame, a target-trap releasing and setting lever pivotally connected to said frame, a shaft, a crank slidably connected to said lever and mounted securely on one end of said shaft, a cam fast on said shaft, a nose on said cam, a plurality of dogs. adapted to engage said nose, a means for continuously drawing said dogs over said nose, a clearing member, a pawl engaging said member for holding it in the path of travel of said dogs to prevent their engagement with said nose, and an electrical means for drawing said pawl out of engagement with said member to permit the latter to clear the path of travel of said dogs for the purpose specified.

5. In a device of the type described, a frame, a target-trap setting and releasing lever pivotally connected to said frame, a shaft journaled in said frame, a crank securely mounted on said shaft and slidably connected to said lever, a member idly mounted on said shaft, means for continuously rotating said member, a disc cam fast on said shaft, adjacent said idly mounted member, a nose on said cam, a plurality of dogs carried by said rotating member for engagement with said nose, a clearing member pivotally secured to said frame, a pawl for maintaining said clearing member against the force of gravity, in the path of travel of said dogs to prevent their engagement -with the nose on the cam, and means for drawing said pawl out of engagement with said clearing member to permit the latter to drop below the path of travel of said dogs for the purpose specified,

y(. In a device of the type described, a frame, a target-trap setting and releasing lever pivotally connected to said frame, a shaft journaled in said frame, a crank firmly mounted on one end of said shaft and slidably connected to said lever, a driven member idly mounted on said shaft, electrical means for continuously driving said member, a cam fast on said shaft adjacent said idly mounted member, a nose on said cam, a plurality of dogs carried by said idly mounted member for engagement with said nose, a lever, a boss on said lever in the path of travel of said dogs, for preventing their engagement with said nose, a pawl for supporting said lever whereby said boss is maintained in said path of travel of said dogs, and an electrical means for removing said pawl from supporting said lever for the purpose specified.

7. In a device of the type described, a frame, a target-trap setting and releasing lever pivotally secured to said frame, a shaft journaled in said frame, a crank firmly attached to one end of said shaft and slidably connected to said lever for oscillating the latter, a continuously rotating driven member idly mounted on said shaft, a plurality of dogs carried by said driven member, a disc cam fast on said shaft, a nose on said cam, a resilient member urging each dog in locking engagement with said nose, a lever pivotally secured to said frame. a boss on said lever in the path of travel of said dogs for restraining them from a locking engagement with the nose on the cam, a pawl pivotally mounted on said frame and engaging said lever for maintaining the latter against the force of gravity to hold the boss in the path of travel of the' dogs. and electrical means for withdrawing said pawl from engagement with said lever to permit the latter, with the boss, to descend below the path of travel of said dogs for the purpose specified.

In testimony whe-reef I have hereunto set my hand this 29th day of October, 1928.

HARRY WV. STEMPEL. 

